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Lozells Road, Shops, Pubs, Businesses etc

J

Jules65

master brummie
As a child I can remember Lozells Road very well. This was in the 1970's/80's. A very different place to now. We had a Woolworths (where I bought my very first record), Fine Fare, Boots The Chemist, A Wool Shop (cannot remember the name), a Pet Shop. At the far end there was The House of Holland. There was Wilkinsons at the other end of Lozells Road, probably Villa Road. As for pubs there was the Lozells Inn and was it the Bell Inn and of course The Royal Oak.

Has anyone got a photographs of Lozells Road around this time. I have seen more upto date ones of Lozells Road as it is now and it has considereably changed from when I was a girl.

There was also a petrol station and a newsagents inbetween Carpenters Road and Burbury Street.

Further along towards Villa Road was also Price and Olivers and a shop that used to sell pens. This may have been Price & Olivers or something else. There was also a pet shop I think at the corner of Berner's Street.

If anyone could fill in the gaps as I know there were lots more.
 
Jules I remember the pet shop that's where I bought my two axalotles. They were white and I named them Axi and Lottle. Can't remember the name of the shop though. Jean.
 
Edit, images referred to are no longer available. Thanks for the link. Having just browsed the photo's it all seems so run down. I really don't remember it being like that until later - perhaps the minds playing tricks. Same as when you think back you always think of the good old days (were they good) and the sun was always shinning.
 
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Before the war, my dad owned two furniture shops, one in Birchfield Road and this one in Lozells Road just up from the villa cross cinema. He picked the locations as 'the smartest in Birmingham'.
 
That's correct jumped in a bit to fast there. Where was the one on the Birchfieold road as my nan lived in Franchise street and she took me shopping there and to the pictures a lot. I remember a wool shop just round from where she lived and have just given a load of patterns away from there to a charity shop. What were your dads shops called?. bye. Jean.
 
this is what used to be on the car park next to aldis. shame its gone. i used to love going there every saturday morning. we used to buy our pop from the little shop next door. thats still there i think its now a listed building. wales.
 
ha. jules. i went there to watch jungle book. we could have been sitting next to each other. the last film i saw there was john wayne in true grit. happy days.:)

Edit. Image added as reference - images originally referred to are no longer available.

64F6A92A-5F68-4595-8976-ECF18448B999.jpeg
 
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The picture of Villa Cross cinema brings back some memories, I remember it just as the picture shows with a great big banner advertizing "The Magnificent Seven"
 
Changed a bit from then. When Peter went out with the drays to deliver beer to the Villa Cross when it was open someone had to stand by the wagon to make sure nothing went missing. Jean.
 
Dad's shop (C.R. Penfold - The Distinctive Furnisher) was between where Aldi is now and the picture house. This is Birchfield Road shop.
 
There was a bike shop on the corner of Lozells Road and Berners Street opposite from Villa Cross. I cannot think of the name? I may be a little out on the location. time does play tricks
 
lovely pics lloyd. for those who havnt seen them if you go to the pubs section there are some lovely shots of the villa cross pub. wales.
 
I think my old doctors surgery was in one of those old houses in Birchfield road. It was Dr Pike and Pinsent. They have both passed away but there is a large healthe centre in Fenthom road named after Dr. Pike. Jean.
 
Hi Jules
I remember Lozells Road well but going back a bit.
Every Saturday morning from 1942 to 46 I would go the Villa Cross picture house, we were known as the ABC minors and saw great films included Old Mother Riley and Kitty.
During the war we played on the bombed out picture house, can't remember the name, and in 1958 I bought my first car from Cell-U-Cars on the corner of Sixways. It cost £200
 
My memories of an area either relate to getting drunk there or dating a local girl, as I did neither unless you count dating a girl that worked in a garage at the top of Burbury St (I think it was). Other than that and some demolition work we did in the area I have no memories of Lozells Rd, but I would like to contribute this snap though.

Phil

22/12/11. I haven't a clue which photo I posted originally, so I'm posting these two, it must have been one or the other.

Lozells Lozells Rd (4).JPGLozells Lozells Rd.jpg
 
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another nice photo phil. i used to have a saturday job at a little drapers on the corner of lozells road. sonya,s i think it was called. that was in the late 60s. got paid £1 for that. im sure there was a wassals shoe shop opposite. wales.
 
I used to have a Saturday job, about 1970, at Wassalls fruit and veg. It was on the left hand side going towards Birchfield, near the post office.
I was chatting to somebody recently who made a comment along the lines of 'wasn't I scared working around there'. To be honest I wasn't, maybe that's because the bad things in the area we hear about these days didn't exist then but I also think that things you read in the press make you think that things are far worse than they actually are.

It's like at football, sometimes you'd think that your life would be in danger when you hear what trouble is caused by a tiny minority but in reality 99% of the people, whatever their age or colour are decent folks and its about time we started hearing some good stories from so called problem areas. But that doesn't sell papers does it?

Bob
 
Thanks for the photo phil1947 - it looked very different back then.
I still have family living in the area and when I lived there up until 1989 I cannot say I was frightened - having lived there all my life it's all I ever knew. When I visit now though I am wary. There are good and bad people in all walks of life its just a shame that the sense of community seems missing.

I have lovely memories of my first job in Naden Road, working in the offices for T. Elvins & Sons. I used to walk to work everyday and was never worried. Obviously I wouldn't walk the same streets alone in the dark, but that's common sense for a lot a places. I do think things are far worse now though. Violent crime has increased everywhere and no one seems to have any respect anymore. Communities need to pull together and care about each other more - how do you make this happen - I have no idea! (will get off my soap box now!!!)

Jules
 
Does anyone remember the Municipal Bank on Villa Road? I have just had another childhood memory of visiting this bank with mom. I just remember being "in awe" if thats the right word. You felt that you had to be on your best behaviour, perhaps it's because if you made a noise it seemed to echo round the building and everyone talked in hushed tones like a library. May not have been like that at all - but its how it seemed to me as a 4 or 5 year old!!

Does anyone know if the building is still there? It was an old building, not like the bank on the corner further up Villa Road which seemed quite modern in comparison. Was it Lloyds?
 
Jules65 said:
Thanks for the photo phil1947 - it looked very different back then.
I still have family living in the area and when I lived there up until 1989 I cannot say I was frightened - having lived there all my life it's all I ever knew. When I visit now though I am wary. There are good and bad people in all walks of life its just a shame that the sense of community seems missing

Jules
Click to expand...

My son was on duty as a fireman the for nights of the riots in the eighties, he was broken up because the police stopped them from doing their job, they said it was too dangerous as the rioters were attacking the firemen. They just had to watch the buildings burn, and I think I if remember correctly three people died in the fires.

Phil
 
I remember the night of the riots. Looking out of our window in Burbury Street with the lights off so no one would see us, watching rioters run up and down outside. It was scary. The police stood at the top of our road and just seemed to be letting them get on with it.

The following morning I walked to the top of our road and along the bit of Lozells Road towards Carpenters Road. It looked like something out of the blitz. There was a tea point set up where the garage was and the police and firemen just looked exhausted and shocked. My mom used to work at the post office where I think life was lost.

I walked to work that day, along Wills Street, down Hunters Road and into Naden Road passing burnt out cars on the way.
 
The road opposite the Villa Cross was Barker Street not Berners street and Crowder and Brown were car dealers.The shop I think you mean was Alfred Cowdrill and Son.Regards. BobS.
 
wales said:
lovely pics lloyd. for those who havnt seen them if you go to the pubs section there are some lovely shots of the villa cross pub. wales.
Click to expand...
Can i please ask what link you are referring to as i'm after pictures of the Villa Cross as my wifes father was the landlord there for some time
Thanks

Edit. Link with photos is no longer available.
 
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